SKW – South America

South America has a discretionary steelmaking industry, which relies on both international brands and local state-of-the-art expertise. While the South American steel industry has faced challenges in each global recession, it remains an attractive destination for investors. Beside recent setbacks, South America’s potential to economical and especially industrial growth is undoubted. The regional steel value chain is a fundamental pillar to build this growth. The South American industry has earned the reputation to offer world-class products in competitive conditions and therefore is an important global steel supplier.

SKW operations in this region are represented by the Tecnosulfur SA brand based in Brazil. The use of coal to produce liquid iron increased the sulfur content considerably. Tecnosulfur was created in 1990 due the subsequent need to desulfurize liquid iron but as well with the purpose of supplying the market with technology, products, equipment and services intended to solve the problems caused by the excess of sulfur in the production of pig iron and steel.

The South American steel industry produced more than 45 million tons of crude steel in 2015 which – quoting Worldsteel – Brazil alone produced more than 70% or more than 33 million tons of it which makes it the 8th biggest global steel producing nation.